REPATRIATED KAPAMPANGANS. Angelina Blanco, chief implementer of the "Balik Pinas, Balik Pampanga" program, delivers her message to 17 returning overseas Filipinos during a send-off ceremony in the City of San Fernando, Pampanga on Wednesday (Oct. 21, 2020). A total of 1,505 returning overseas Kapampangans have so far benefited from the program since it was launched by the provincial government last June 30. (Photo by the provincial government of Pampanga)
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga – A total of 1,505 returning overseas Kapampangans have so far benefited from the “Balik Pinas, Balik Pampanga” program since it was launched by the provincial government last June 30.
Program chief implementer Angelina Blanco on Wednesday met with 17 returning overseas Filipinos (ROFs) during a send-off ceremony here.
They are now part of the 1,447 ROFs who were sent home after undergoing a three-day quarantine at the New Clark City and testing negative for the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) based on their reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) tests.
They were required to undergo home quarantine for 11 more days.
Another 58 program recipients are still under quarantine at the New Clark City as of Wednesday.
“Sa Balik Pinas, Balik Pampanga ay naipapakita natin ang ating mga pagpapahalaga at pagmamahal sa mga kabalen natin na nagpupursige sa abroad para mabigyan ng magandang kinabukasan ang kanilang mahal sa buhay (Under Balik Pinas, Balik Pampanga, we can show our appreciation and love to our kabalen who strive abroad to give a good future to their loved ones),” Governor Dennis Pineda said in a message posted on his social media account.
Arvin Cruz, a ROF from Hong Kong, thanked the provincial government for assisting them in returning home.
“First of all, napakaganda po ng program ng ating mahal na Governor Pineda. Ito po ay napalaking tulong sa aming mga ROF at ikinagagalak po naming sabihin na napakaganda ng serbisyo (First of all, the program of our Governor Pineda is very good. This is a big help to our ROFs and we are happy to say that the service is very good),” Cruz said.
The provincial government launched the "Balik Pinas, Balik Pampanga" Citizen’s App to assist all Kapampangans returning from abroad.
The mobile phone application serves as a tool in updating the provincial government beforehand on the number of ROFs who will arrive in Metro Manila and eventually the province, expediting the process of return and determining the kind of assistance needed by the returnees upon their arrival.
To register, Kapampangans abroad may go to the www.balikpampanga.ph website and download the app.
Upon signing up, they would receive a one-time-password (OTP) that would be sent through their e-mail.
They may then log in with their username and OTP, complete the documents needed, and wait for the QR code and reference number that would also be sent through e-mail. This means the application has been approved.
Only ROFs who registered at least 10 days before their scheduled flight would be accommodated. (PNA)
